The Booze Beat has come full circle … again

I started working the Booze Beat as a blog at joplinglobe.com more than two years ago. For a short while, it found a home as a column in our entertainment shopper, the CliP. Last summer, the blog hit the road as I headed west for a summer editing fellowship in Nevada. From micro-breweries in Albuquerque to beer festivals at Lake Tahoe; from wine tastings in Reno to patio bars in San Francisco, I’ve shared it all. I’ve reported on cocktail culture from the Strip in Las Vegas – and Branson – and from countless dives along the way. Great work if you can get it.
Now, the Booze Beat is back in print – like I said, full circle. Get ready to take a big swig of Joplin-area nightlife and entertainment, and don’t worry, I’ll pass the bottle around and share my experiences.
Magic Hat
A couple of things to note: Get over to Buffalo Wild Wings in Joplin and grab a Magic Hat No. 9 while the supply lasts. The “not quite pale ale” is a pleaser. I’m not a trained beer critic, but I know what I
like, and I like No. 9. Wild Wings is the only Joplin establishment with the Burlington, Vt., brewed craft ale on tap, I’m told. It’s worth the trip. The bartender couldn’t tell me how long the English-style ale will stick around. He said the distributor was sampling it to see if it had any
legs in the market.I say, keep it around. I’ll tackle it again. A pint will set you back $4.
Smokestack Series
I’ve sampled a couple more beers from the Boulevard Smokestack Series. Tank 7 is the ninth in the Smokestack Series of beers crafted at Boulevard’s Kansas City brewery. The copper-colored ale is thick in the mouth with a crazy rich, almost sweet taste. Filling. Not a
beer made for pounding, the Belgian-styled brew is spicy, kinda fruity and – as the label points out – a little grapefruit can be tasted. Harvest Dance Wheat Wine, the latest issue in the series, offers a
great taste. It’s a little hoppy for me, but a great beer to drink with a rich meal. Like Tank 7, it’s a great beer to split with a fellow brew fan. Both Boulevard brews run around $8 for a 750 ml bottle.
Gusano’s Pushing Pear
I wandered into Gusano’s pizza recently searching for somewhere new to dine. I sat down at the bar and saw a big yellow pear topping a tap handle. Hello, Woodchuck Pear Cider. The sweet pear beverage is a favorite and I was thrilled to find it on tap in Joplin. I ordered a spinach dip and pint of cider. That’s good living. The dip is served with Frito Dippers – a cool twist on corn chips – and offsets the sweetness of the cider. Gusano’s offers 15 beers on tap and a full cocktail selection. The
new Sam Adams Noble Pilsner is on tap, too. They have a weekday happy hour from 4 until 7 p.m. The pear cider was $4. The Booze Beat blog has always been just a click away at joplinglobe.com, but it’s exciting to be back in print. There will be a look back at Joplin-area nightclubs in the coming weeks, event previews and product reviews, and an occasional bartender and
bar owner profile. It’s good to be back.

Cheers!